In a quickly-moving technological landscape, it has become more important than ever for companies to remain at the forefront of the latest trends in recruitment and selection processes, not only to stay relevant, but to get ahead of their competitors. New technology is the best way to better engage candidates and jobseekers, sparking engagement on the platforms they interact with daily. With constant innovation, however, it can be difficult to stay abreast of new tech while remaining focused on best-fit technology for recruitment and sourcing. Here, we take a look at the best of the best of HR tech: what are these new technologies? How are they working? What can we learn from them? Here are four modern methods of recruitment and selection that have gained popularity this year.

Video Interviews

Particularly with the rise of the gig economy and a geographically separated workforce, the distance between applicant and job is no longer a jobseeker concern. Likewise, the interview process must evolve with this movement towards an increasingly remote workforce, while remaining personal and effective. The solution? Video interviews are emerging as a valuable asset to the recruiting sphere, particularly as the gig economy grows and contract workers respond to the skills gap in technology. Not only do video interviews allow for the personal feel of a face-to-face interview, but can take place between jobseeker and recruiter no matter where they are in the world, as remotely as the positions the candidate is applying for. The advantage of a video interview over email or phone engagement is that a video allows the recruiter to survey a candidate’s soft skills, and how their personality will fit with the company culture. Much more about a person — their character, as opposed to what can fit on a resume — may be determined by a video interview than by other forms of electronic engagement. As technology becomes increasingly prevalent in the recruitment space, technology that can transcend the impersonal nature of electronic communication will be valuable in engaging jobseekers and determining best-fit candidates.

Social Recruiting

An exponential trend in talent acquisition, social media engagement has become more important than ever. Engaging candidates on social media is an extension of recruitment marketing, meeting the candidate on platform they are comfortable with using, and placing your open position in the same realm of the content a jobseeker is already looking at. This emphasizes ease-of-use for the jobseeker, and an accessible application increases the number of applicants, thereby decreasing time-to-fill. Not to mention, displaying social media savvy as a company only improves brand image of being a forward-thinking and modern company, something that jobseekers are mindful of. Social media engagement is particularly beneficial when trying to attract millennial jobseekers. For example, following up on the increase of video interviewing in tandem with the social media recruiting trend, companies such as McDonald’s have been utilizing Snapchat to develop “Snaplications”, or 10-second video clip job applications, which is a unique and interactive way to access candidates. By engaging users on a social media platform with 166 million daily active users, McDonald’s reaches a number of candidates who may not have considered them before. Social media marketing can expand the pool of jobseeker searches, as well as motivating candidates to see your company as social-media savvy, increasing engagement and improving employer brand identity.

Google for Jobs

With the launch of the Google Jobs Search Engine, the jobseeker’s life has become easier. Conceptually, the program utilizes Google’s Big Data to match candidates with ideal positions, and bring them directly to the application page: no middleman job boards necessary. The interface is familiar to most internet users (being the same interface as a usual Google search), and, being the same, the program is equipped with the same search filtering options, to further personalize results. Aligning with specialized Applicant Tracking Systems (ATSs), Google for Jobs will function in place of third-party job boards to bring the seeker directly to the position, as quickly as possible. In the field of recruitment, this means that best-fit talent is brought directly to you without any middleman, optimizing who is seeing your career site and positions. The innovation intends to integrate with the existing job search system, but clearly the days of targeting job boards and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) are over.

Texting in the Recruitment Space

Just as email came to replace printed job applications, now email is coming to be replaced by text message engagement with candidates. In a study of smartphone owners, 43 percent have used their devices to research jobs, and 18 percent have used mobile devices to submit an application. There are many benefits of text messaging candidates: the more personal feel given to the interaction between candidate and jobseeker, the immediacy of a text message, eliminating the back-and-forth of voicemails and phone tag – plus, texting holds the title of the preferred medium of communication for candidates age 18-44. Over its predecessor email, texting boasts a 95 percent open rate, while emails have a measly 20 percent. Working in tandem with your ATS, an application such as TextRecruit can ease the transition into the textually-engaged, rapidly-growing realm of mobile recruiting, text message engagement becoming as easy as any automated system, seamlessly integrating into your ATS to serve as a robust asset to your recruiting process.

In the rapidly-changing recruitment landscape, attracting and engaging the jobseeker effectively and relevantly is more important than ever before. By staying at the forefront of recruitment technology, you remain ahead of the curve, and ahead of your competitors in finding top-tier talent in the technological age.